Circuits: a lockdown poem by Malcolm Guite!

Brought to my attention by Sean Reilly of The Meath Writers' Circle, this is a poet worth a visit over to Youtube and Wikipedia to check out. From his own biographical notes ~ I am a poet, priest and academic and have published four volumes of poetry with Canterbury Press ~ . The video was loaded by The Poetry Archive Now! and was the Wordview 2020 entry. Born on the 12th of November 1957 in Nigeria he is a chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge and an associate chaplain of St. Edward King and Martyr in Cambridge. With thanks to Youtube and Wikipedia.

*The above is just a brief insight to a poet, guitarist and singer-songwriter who fronts a Blues, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock band. 'Mystery Train". Counts as his influences, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen and many, many of the great poets. Check out!

Year's End By Richard Wilbur

Searching for a poem of the year ending or a new beginning, I settled on this. Richard Wilbur was an American poet who was born in 1921 and died on October the 14th 2017. He was a Pulitzer Prize winner and United States Poet Laureate. And many more as well. With thanks to BirdCagePictureFilms for posting and of course Richard Wilbur and not forgetting youtube. Have a happy new year folks! 

"There are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves" by James Kavanaugh

This is one I got from Sean Reilly and is a poem by the rebel priest James Kavanaugh "There are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves! No doubt to few in Ireland as the wolf population grows by the day. I read somewhere once there was such a bounty on them and their skins were so valuable (wolves!) that they managed to exterminate then all by the early seventeen hundreds. No really, they just metamorphosed into the professions and continued on as before. They do that in Celtic countries, anyway give the poem a listen and see what you think.  With thanks to Nicholas Temple who posted on youtube.

Tommy Murray R.I.P.

Tommy Murray

Vey sad news yesterday to hear of the death of Tommy Murray of Trim. Tommy was a founder member and chairman of The Meath Writers' Circle and his passing marks the end of an era. Best known for his poetry and short stories he was also an active local historian and his many books and the awards for his  writing are just to numerous to mention. His contribution to the creative writing scene in Meath is second to none and for over twenty years since the creation of  The Meath Writers' Circle in '92 to the present day he managed to arrange venues and meetings and encouraged others to get something into print. He was especially gifted  at creating beautiful verse and whether he was describing something of the landscape or the simplest thing he could bring a wealth of detail to the page. His books of poetry can be ordered from Lapwing and those of local history from publishers such as Nonsuch. A visit to his website "Meath Books" or the newly created home page will  have details of the above. His funeral takes place on Tuesday morning after 11am Mass to St Loman's Cemetry in Trim. Co Meath. Condolences to Josephine and all the family.